Old homes are great. They have charm, detail, character, and sometimes old sewer pipes. Clay pipes. The kind that can crack, leak, and have roots growing in them.
When buying an older home I always recommend my clients get a sewer scope done on the house, especially if it was built before 1970. For about $150 you can have the sewer lines inspected and be armed with the knowledge that either:
- The sewer lines are clean and crack free.
- Some repairs need to be done and you may opt to use it as a repair negotiation item.
- The findings show the sewer lines require substantial repairs that you don’t want to deal with and you can choose to walk away.
When getting a sewer inspection, it is important to have it done by a professional. By professional I mean a plumber or sewer specialist who is licensed, has the proper equipment and has the know-how to check the pipes.
These folks use a nifty camera that can be pushed through the sewer line to see if any problems exist. They look for broken or cracked pipes, roots invading the line, clogs, or party lines. (A party line happens when the sewer pipe from a house is connected or shared with neighbor’s pipe before reaching the main sewer line). Many sewer specialists will record the scope on videotape or CD so that you can keep a copy. The sewer line inspection can occur during the home inspection period outlined in your sales agreement (default time for the home inspection period is 10 business days from mutual acceptance of the contract).
Replacing sewer lines can be costly; probably thousands more than the $150 or so you would spend for the inspection. After all, you wouldn’t want to find gunk like in the picture above. That stuff is tree roots and baby wipes pulled out of a sewer line by Chicago homeowners who write a blog called HouseInProgress.net. UGH. Pretty disgusting. Many thanks to them for letting me use their photo.
Further reading:
Page 4 of the Oregon Property Buyer Advisory
Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
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